Dulces in my life
by whatistheretoponderabout
Summary: All Santana wanted was to cook and create delicious foods from her taco truck on the busy streets of the city. Her dream to one day own her own restaurant takes a detour when she meets the overly friendly owner of the Dinosaur ice cream truck who serves up her own brand of sweet and just desserts.
1. Chapter 1

I blast the horn furiously at the morons on the freeway as I speed past them imagining all the cruel ways I can murder them all as I notice that, yet again, I am horribly late. My truck weaves in and out of traffic trying to get to work before it's too late as I imagine that woman is parked in my spot again, flashing her infuriating smile at me. I give the final asshole on the freeway the finger as I cut in front of him and take my exit.

Almost at my destination, I stick my head out of the window and listen vigilantly for the telltale sounds of the person I'm supposed to hate but find myself frustratingly not-quite-yet-able-to-bring- myself to slash her tires. Thankfully, I don't hear the infamous grating song that all children can sense within a five-mile radius, like bloodhounds, and I let out a sigh of relief.

As if on cue the jolly jingle from the all too familiar ice cream truck starts up as soon as I enter the food truck lot where all the other owner's are setting up their stalls for the day. I glare at the white truck with the unicorn logo, the owner thankfully out of sight, as I grumble and drive my way over to the spot I've been unfortunately relegated to.

Who would have thought that popular cheerleader, Santana Lopez, voted 'most likely to be a trophy wife' in high school, had set out to become one of the most famous food truck chefs in the entire city? I simply did what any self-respecting single and broke student in college does after finding their education dull, repetitive and mind numbingly boring; drop out and join culinary school instead.

I park up my vehicle, set out my ever changing menu for the day, before setting up shop and cutting up all my ingredients ready for the day's onslaught of hungry customers. I crack open my window for ventilation and smile as I smell the different kinds of foods from the other stalls nearby. The distinct smell of something raw and foul drifts past my nose and I stick my head out my service window to ascertain where it is coming from. I finally spot the culprit and peel my lips back in distaste when I spot the multicolored vegan food truck not that far away.

Why would you start a food truck business if you're not going to eat meat? Well whatever, to each their own. Someone whistles in my direction and I smirk when I catch the sight of my good friend and local barbecue extraordinaire, Noah Puckerman. He takes his shirt off before picking up a slab of ribs and blowing me a kiss and I shake my head at him before returning to my own food and checking the taste. Finding it satisfactory for the day, I make sure everything else is in order when I hear a tap on my window.

"Morning, Santana."

The sweet voice floats around my truck and I pause momentarily at the condiment station to stare at the blonde head poking in. Closing my eyes and counting to ten, I turn back to my task and ignore the owner of the Dinosaur ice cream truck; someone who obviously still can't take a hint.

"Um, I have something for you. Santana?"

Sighing and trying to be patient, I continue counting in my head as I ignore the woman at my window. I clatter a few pots and pans in the kitchen when I hear her tap on my window screen again and I walk over to my cooler instead. Using the moment to grab a juice drink, I walk back to my window and slam it onto the counter before quickly turning away. Since the day the community lot president informed us of a new food truck member taking my original spot, a small nugget of distrust and dislike formed in my heart.

"Thank you for the Jarritos, San. How did you know my favorite is the mango flavor?"

"First of all my name is Santana, we're not friends so stop calling me that. Second, I didn't know that was your favorite, I just snatched whatever was there. But it doesn't matter really because I know Mike sneaks some to you every day when he comes over to buy tacos for Tina. So if you'll excuse me, I'm kind of busy right now and I don't want you blocking my customer line."

"Oh, okay…Thanks for the drink again. I brought you a choco-dino pop, I hope you like it."

"Yeah sure, whatever."

Out of the corner of my eye I see her bright smile falter and she stares down at the counter instead.

"I've got work to do," I manage to mutter in a gruff voice. I make sure she's left my window before returning to put the ice cream in my freezer then watch as she slowly makes her way back to her own truck, the spring in her step dulled after our conversation.

I place it with the other ones she's given me over the past week and remind myself to drop them off at the afterschool program later on. No reason to waste the desserts, right? So far every morning has been the same; Brittany walks over to give me some sort of ice cream and I give her a bottle of soda. It's an interesting exchange but she came over first, perhaps as a peace offering, and proudly offered her most famous ice cream bars. I proudly refused them. You would think the woman would have got the hint by now but I guess she is as stubborn as I am.

It doesn't help that her cheery demeanor and all around good person persona, coupled with good looks and a beautiful smile had started to draw me in like a bug to a flytrap. I mean, okay fine, so maybe I was hoping we played for the same team and maybe I could have worked up the courage to almost ask her out, but that does not mean we aren't still competitors in a tough business. Also, I blame Mike Chang for putting ideas into my head, egging me on and telling me if I didn't ask her out that he's going to tell everyone I use cat meat in my tacos. And it's his fault again when I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out but unfortunately saw her with some dude with humongous lips instead. Okay, maybe I'm a little bitter, so sue me. It doesn't matter anyway.

Unwilling to spend another moment thinking about her, I hear the first customer of the day call out to me and I walk to my window counter.

"Welcome to Abuelita's Cocina, what can I get for you today?"

* * *

I power through the rush hour as hungry workers stop by to order and I keep tabs on the line of customers outside my truck and compare it to my rivals. The Changs have their own line of loyal customers as they serve their Asian fusion type food and Puck is expertly flipping burgers, ribs and deep-frying fries all at the same time. The heat from the midday sun and my kitchen makes me sweat so I pull out my bandana to tie back my long hair. Taking a moment to grab a bottle of water, I chug it down and glance at the line forming for the Dinosaur ice cream truck.

Honestly, who puts a huge, bright and rainbow colored unicorn on their truck named Dinosaur? Apparently the proprietor has no qualms about having a truck that makes no sense, but whatever, Brittany can do whatever she wants. Apparently, her famous desserts have garnered their own pack of loyal customers and they never fail to visit the owner of the ice cream truck with her wide smile and bright blue eyes. It's not like her ice cream is that good, right? Well, maybe. Whatever, she probably has a bunch of pervy customers anyway because she always wears those damn short shorts. Not that I was checking her out. Okay, maybe I was, but she visits me every morning so what could I do? You can't blame me for checking her out; even I have to admit that she has a great body. Don't judge me.

I am relieved when lunchtime is over and only a few customers are left so I make their orders quickly and finally sit down to take a breather. Figuring I have some time to visit my neighbors, I place my sign outside to indicate I will be away for a few minutes and hop out of my truck to walk over to the Changs first. Their brightly colored gold and red truck stands out amidst everyone else and I walk up to the counter before tapping the window loudly to catch their attention.

"Welcome to the Changtastic Asian Infusion, how may I help- oh it's you, Santana. What's up?"

"Glad you're so quick to dismiss me, Mike. Anyway, I got a bit of free time so I was hoping to grace you with my presence for a bit. Where's Tina?"

"Good to know you think so highly of yourself and your friends, San. Tina went to use the restroom. The baby's been making her sick all morning so I sent her off to rest. Know of anything that would help morning sickness?"

"Hey, you're the Asian couple, shouldn't you guys know some sort of herbal remedy for that kind of stuff?"

"First of all, rude and racist. Secondly, we've tried all the old medicinal herbs and what not, nothing works. The only thing that helped so far is this plum popsicle that Brittany makes, seems to soothe Tina's stomach for a little bit. You know, you really should be a lot nicer to her. She's a great person and I'm sure if you just get to know her you'll-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Stir Fry. You're not my mother so don't act like it. I can do and treat anyone how I want to. It's a free country so don't butt into my life, okay? Besides, she stole my spot; you know how much I like parking in that area. It's the shadiest part and has the easiest access to the entrance."

"Santana, Brittany sells ice cream, her truck needs to be in the shade. Why are you still so upset over that?"

"I get hot too! It's totally not fair that the committee gave my spot to her. Bunch of old pervert geezers. I bet she only had to bat her pretty big blue eyes and flick her long blonde hair at them to get them to do whatever she wants."

"Wait, are you upset that you didn't get to ask her out?"

"What? No! Whatever, Chang. So what are you cooking up today? It smells delicious back there and you always have something new for the week."

"Here to steal my secret family recipe, eh? Tsk tsk. I thought you were better than that, Santana."

"Psh, get over yourself, Mike. My tacos will beat your fried rice any day. Now I'm hungry, feed me, man!"

"Alright, alright. Don't get your tacos in a twist!"

I laugh along with him as I watch him turn the heat up and throw some meat in a wok. After a few minutes of intense cooking and beers being opened up Mike is almost ready to show me his latest concoction. The smell alone had my mouth watering way before he even added the finishing touches to my meal and I can't wait to eat whatever is on the table. He plates my food and I salute him with my beer bottle before taking my meal back to my own truck.

I hunker down and take a bite of what looks like chicken fried rice and some other mushroom type bits before declaring that it needed hot sauce. After dumping copious amounts of my own personal spin on Tabasco and hot chili paste on my food I quietly enjoy the rest of my lunch in peace. That is, until I am interrupted mid bite by none other than barbecue Puckerman.

"What's a guy got to do to get a bite of that, hmm?"

"Pay Mike eight bucks and hope to god he doesn't spit it in. Now what do you want, butthead?"

"Aww don't be like that, Santana. Besides, I wasn't talking about the food, if you catch my drift."

"Talk to me the day you grow a vagina. Now go bother someone else, you dirty mongrel, you're not getting any scraps from me."

"Looks like someone hasn't gotten laid in a long time…"

"Looks like someone is going to get hot sauce poured down their throat if they don't leave me alone."

"Okay, kidding. Jeez, chill out, Santana. I just want to order some food. Can I get a burrito?"

I get up to throw on some food for him and smack his hand when he tries to reach for my secret hot sauce. I make it as quickly as possible so I can be ready for the after work crowd. I roll it up and dump it in a container before shoving it out the window and pointing him back to the direction of his own truck. Although we are all owners of a food truck and are constantly fighting for hungry customers, there is a set rule amongst us where we refuse to take any money from each other. So watching Puck reach into his pants to hand me some cash only gets him a growl and a finger instead.

"Okay, okay, I get the message. Next rounds on me, what do you want?"

"If I wanted to get the runs for a week then maybe I'll stop by your truck when I'm dying of starvation."

"Ouch, no need to be harsh, Santana. You know I'm the king of BBQ beef, it's my best dish!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now get out of here, don't you need time to prep, too?"

"No worries, I got everything covered. Plus I made some good money today off of a European women's soccer team. You know how the chicks love the Puckster."

"Yeah, of course. That's why half of them came over to me, right?"

"Well, it's not my fault your lesbian prowess is just as awesome as mine."

"If you know I'm gay, why do you insist on hitting on me every day?"

"I can't help that I admire hot women. Speaking of which, ice cream lady is looking over here again. When are you going to be nice to her, Santana? Come on, she's not so bad, and her T-Rex pudding pop is awesome!"

"Whatever, you got your food, now leave me alone."

"Alright fine, but heads up. Hot ice cream lady is coming by."

With a wink he saunters off and I groan when I see Brittany walk towards my window. Hoping to just ignore her, I go back to my prep station and try to think of what else I need to do. She knocks on my window screen and I sigh before heading over to my fridge again. Pulling out her soda drink, I place it on the counter and walk away before she has anything to say.

"Wait, Santana!"

"Look, I don't want your money okay? Just take the drink and go."

"But I got you a stego-strawberry pop. It's everyone's new favorite and I thought maybe you could try it and give me some feedback…"

"Just leave it on the counter, okay? Now, I'm trying to prep for later so if you'll excuse me."

"Okay, well, maybe we could hang out sometime?"

"Thanks but no thanks. I don't have time to go hang out."

I grab the ice pop on my counter before placing it in the freezer with the rest of the ones she's given me. Turning around I walk back to my window and hold out the glass soda bottle for her to take. What I don't expect is for her to hold onto my wrist instead. I try to pull myself out of her grip but her hand only tightens around me.

"What, are you crazy? Let go!"

"No. I want to know why you hate me."

"I don't hate you, now let go of me!"

"You're lying, Santana. I can tell. You don't even look at me when I talk to you. Did I do something or say something bad to you? I mean, I thought everybody liked me…"

"Well I'm not everybody so let go of me, damn it!"

She is about to say something more but a few children screaming out her name come sprinting across the open space and into her legs. They startle her enough for me to wrestle my hand out of her grasp before shutting the window in her face and closing the blinds. I hear the children ramble on about the type of ice cream they want and the reluctant parents who have finally caught up with their eager kids. I hear her answer them all politely before stepping away and heading back towards her own truck. The kids continue to chatter loudly as the telltale jingle of the ice cream truck turns on and a unified scream of joy peals around the lot. What a stupid jingle, I can't believe kids fall for that crap. I mean honestly, why do you even need a special jingle for ice cream? How hard is it to make a frozen treat? I bet Puck takes more time on his BBQ than she does and that's saying something about the man that can't remember his own phone number.

I walk over to my prep station to pull out necessary ingredients for tonight. The after school and work crowd is fast approaching and I need to prepare everything so I can get home fast for the new season of Real Housewives that I simply can't miss. Remembering to wash my hands and knives first, I begin slicing, dicing and chopping everything I need. Eventually I sit back and let everything cook, breathing in the delicious smell of cooked meats and the hint of something special cooking in the air.

I wonder briefly if the smell is why I can't seem to stay in a stable relationship and I surreptitiously sniff at my shirt before sighing and shrugging my shoulders. It's not really my fault if I smell like a nice piece of steak, if the girl can't take it then she can take a hike. Besides, I always shower when I get home because even if I don't smell like a holiday ham I still have the stains to prove otherwise. No one wants to go on a date with someone who wears an apron all day with pieces of salsa sticking to her arms. I walk over to the sink to wash my hands again before sitting down and mentally checking the list of things that still needed to be done.

* * *

Having done all my work for now I enjoy the small reprieve from taking orders and cooking. I reach over and open up my cooler to grab a nice chilled bottle of beer when I accidentally graze over the ice cream popsicle that Brittany gave me. I poke at it a few times and think back on how many of them I still have in my freezer when I realize I probably do have enough for the kids later.

A loud knock at my window startles me and I see Mike happily waving with a suspicious looking object in his hand. I sit there and cross my arms over my chest to glare at him until I see him roll his eyes at me and begin to slide open my window by force. Not wanting him to break my truck I hastily get up to open it all the way but not before smacking him soundly on the head.

"What's wrong with you? Do you know how expensive it would be to replace that window?"

"Oh come on, I knew you were just going to sit there and see how long it would take me to beg for you to open it, so I thought I'd take matters into my own hands."

"I will cut off your hands next time if you try that shit again, Chang."

"Jeez, relax won't you? Stop being so hot-headed. Speaking of which, I got you something to cool down."

"No."

"I didn't even tell you what it is yet!"

"I know what it is, why did you bring me one?"

"Chill out San, just because you saw her making out with some dude doesn't mean it's my fault. Besides, Brittany told Tina that she likes you so excuse me for trying to help you find a nice girl."

"She wasn't making out with some dude! She just kissed him on the cheek, but whatever. It doesn't matter, I didn't like her in the first place."

"Liar. Hey, her loss if she can't see past your Oscar the grouch routine, but anyway, just try one, it's good, I promise. Have I ever lied to you?"

He winks at me before placing the ice cream on my counter and walking back towards his own truck. I eye the thing and debate whether or not I should try one. Oh, to hell with it. Wondering what all the fuss is about and falling into temptation, I rip open the package and come face to face with a red stegosaurus popsicle, it's happy face beaming at me.

I angrily bite its head off first, eager to rid the smile from the damn thing but the burst of sweet strawberries in my mouth take me by surprise and I wonder how I had never tasted this before in my life. The chilled piece of popsicle swirls in my mouth and I crunch down harder to taste more of the delicious flavor. I have to hand it to her, as absentminded as Brittany may seem, she sure knows how to make a damn good ice cream. This time I take to licking the ice cream and even momentarily forget about my beer as I enjoy the cool taste in my mouth, perfect for fighting the heat in my kitchen and in the air.

I take a deep breath and am surprised to find that my mouth is still cold, turning the air I breathe in into a chill breeze as the taste of freshly picked strawberries lingers on my taste buds. Jesus, that is good ice cream! I can't tell if I'm frustrated because Brittany is obviously a skilled ice cream maker or that I've tricked myself into never trying one of the many ice cream bars she's given me. At least I now know why those damn kids like me so much when I drive by to drop these off.

Whatever, it shouldn't matter. Ice cream isn't even real food and desserts shouldn't be allowed to be part of the new food truck craze. I mean, really, does her truck need to be stationed with us? It's better off with all the other ice cream trucks roaming the city with its annoying jingle calling out to greedy children and their stupid parents. Licking the rest of the icy goodness off the wooden stick I throw it in the trash and dust myself off.

Downing the rest of my beer, I wait for the telltale silence of the dessert truck and smile as I realize that it's nearing dusk and a certain someone will be leaving soon as there aren't many customers fighting for a cold treat during a chilly night. The music stops and I smile before heading back to my station of prepped goods and clean up anything that needed done. I figured I had some time before the dinner crowd wandered over so I sat down and listened to the quiet murmurs of people walking by and Brittany's truck starting up before leaving. Finally, I can get some cooking going on!

* * *

Today seems to be a good day as I manage to almost sell out and I use a clean towel to wipe down my counters. I tidy up inside my truck and acknowledge any stray customers giving praise for my great food and cooking. Hey, what girl doesn't like a compliment, right? I rub off some sweat with the side of my shirt and sigh. Today was another tiring day but it went well and with the way my business is going I can continue towards my dream of owning a restaurant.

I see Puck and the vegan truck still around but I notice the Changs leaving so I close up shop and wave goodbye to them as they drive off. I start up my own truck, eager to drop off the ice cream and get to my trashy prime time shows and more beer. I speed up a little, whistling in tune to the radio and nodding my head to the beat. I eagerly make the last turn before the freeway only to have my wishes of a quiet night dashed. As if the powers that be were taking a dump on my life, there, right in front of me is the unicorned painted truck and its owner putting down emergency cones behind it. There is a small car in front of me that is undecided in whether to turn down another street or try to slip past the truck, so I honk mercilessly as it continues to just sit there. I honk again and am tempted to just ram into him when I see the driver do something extremely stupid.

I see a window roll down before a hand sticks out and a certain finger is pointed in my direction. And then I notice why the small car isn't moving. Lifting my eyes back to Brittany I catch her leaning over in her deep V-neck shirt to place another cone down and the view from where I am sitting is probably nothing like the one the person in front of me has. I briefly contemplate driving straight into his piece of junk vehicle until I hear the nagging voice of someone familiar telling me about lawsuits and a rap sheet.

Incensed that I'm not allowed to use physical force, I think up another devious plan and smile slowly as I search under my passenger seat for something I haven't used since I first started the food truck business and needed to get people to try my food. I turn my high beams on and continue to flash the car in front of me until I see Brittany squinting her eyes at the brightness of my headlights. My lights illuminate a disgusting face looking back at me as the driver tries to peer through my lights and out his back windshield.

Tired of his shit and general ugliness I roll my window down to stick my head out and bring up the megaphone. The loud crackle of the speaker comes to life and I see the man in the car in front of me flinch from the sound.

"To the asshole pervert in the disgusting beat up Toyota in front of me! Can you please stop looking down women's shirts and move or do I have to ram my truck so far into your bumper that your wide load ass will soon turn into its own airbag? Move your damn car, asshole!"

The pervert's face is shocked only for a minute before I see his mouth move in what I guess is his way of telling me to shut up. I flash my high beams at his face again just to see what he would do and after a second I see his drivers door open. Not willing to take a visit to the local police station today, I wait until I see a foot come out the door before revving my engine hard. Just to make sure I get my message across, I scream out again.

"Try me, you bastard. See if I don't run you over the minute you step out of your car!"

I watch his one leg still as he hears me yell out to him before it wisely retreats back into the beat up Toyota and he screeches off, but not before flipping me the finger again. Ready to chase and run him down regardless of consequences I step on my gas only to see the wide and shocked face of Brittany now in front of my truck. Oh just fantastic, this day obviously can't get any better.

I sigh before turning my engine off and taking my keys out. I take my time getting out and silently berate myself for trying to be a good Samaritan, or whatever this is. Brittany calls my name and I look up to see her waving enthusiastically at me before I grunt in her direction and take a look at our surroundings.

"Santana! I thought it was you, but it was so bright and I couldn't see because it was so dark and then that guy-"

"Save it. Look I'm kind of sort of in a hurry so like what do you need? Something's wrong with your truck, right? Why else would you be stalled in a local street blocking traffic and putting down emergency cones attracting all the slimy guys in a 10 mile radius?"

"I wasn't attracting anything!"

"Yeah, okay, whatever. Look, do you need my help or not?"

"Yes?"

"Alright then, what's the problem?"

"Right! Yeah, I think the battery is dead or something because my truck won't turn on and my ice cream is melting and I left my phone at home today and I don't know what to do and-"

"Stop! Relax. Breathe, woman! If it's a battery problem I'll just go grab my jumper cables and juice it, should be fine after that. Whoa, hey, are you crying?"

"No…"

"Yes, you are. Look, I'll give you a jump and then we can get on with our lives, okay?"

"I guess. Thank you for the jump."

She begins to say something else but I quickly pop open the backdoor to my truck instead and search around for my jumper cables while trying to hide my embarrassment as I imagine the dual meaning of our conversation. Aiming to just drive my front end close enough to her truck to plug the cables in, I stick my keys back into the ignition until I hear a strange sound to my left. I look over and I see Brittany climbing into my passenger seat and buckling in before flashing me a smile and waiting.

"What are you doing?"

"Sitting here."

"I know, but why are you sitting here, woman?"

"My name is Brittany, you know that, Santana. I've talked to you almost every day for the past-"

"Not what I asked. Why are you in my truck?"

"I thought I could help."

"Help what?"

"Help you, of course. Now come on, silly, didn't you say you were going to give me a jump?"

Exasperated and unsure if she really meant what she said I begin to get the sense that tonight is going to be a long one as I feel a small headache coming on while I maneuver my truck over to hers. I pop the hood of both our trucks and attach the cables to our batteries before going over to my passenger door and clearing my throat loudly.

"I need you to be in your truck now and try starting it up again, okay? I'll call out to tell you when."

"Okay…"

I try to ignore the lithe and smooth legs sliding out of my seat and walking away from me by shaking my head and focusing on the situation. Climbing back into my seat I wait until Brittany is settled and then yell out to start her engine while I step on the gas. I rev a few times to get the engine going as I hear clicking noises coming from her truck. I cross my fingers that it's going to work as I push down a little harder to give it more gas but the hollow clicking noises of her dead engine only echoes back. I send a silent curse up into the heavens before turning everything off and motion for Brittany to do the same. I unlatch the jumper cables and sigh at the forlorn look on the ice cream maker's face.

"I guess it's not your battery then…sorry."

"Yeah, it's okay. It was a hot day and I guess my coolers used up all the power. I just wish I didn't have to throw away all these ice creams. It's such a waste. Anyway, can I borrow your phone? I need to call someone to get my truck."

Nodding and passing her my phone, I see her fidget anxiously while she waits for someone to pick up and a wave of relief comes over her face as she begins to state her problem to the other person on the line. With nothing to do, I turn back to my own truck and let Brittany speak to the towing company while alerting her that I'll be going back to my own space, leaving her to deal with her problems. I don't get two steps away before a quick hand latches onto the sleeve of my jacket and I turn around and lift my eyebrow questioning her actions. Her lips silently mouth the word 'wait' and I sigh out in exasperation as she finishes up with the rest of her conversation.

"Yes, alright. Thank you again. Yes, I understand. By tomorrow at the latest, please. Thanks, bye."

Brittany continues to hold onto my sleeve as she smiles in gratitude and slips my phone back into my jacket pocket. I feel a slight movement in my arm and I glance down to see her fingers rubbing the material of my sleeve. Her hand slides all the way to my collar and begins to fiddle with it as the slightest brush of her knuckles against my neck sends a shiver down my spine. A quick press of her soft lips against my cheek is all I feel as her kiss almost makes me miss the words coming out of her mouth.

"Thank you, Santana. That was really nice of you."

"Umm yeah, no sweat. So they're going to come and get you now, right? Good, because I'm going to head out and-"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could give me a lift."

"A what?"

"I kind of need a ride home to drop off all my ice cream before it melts. I can't let it just sit here waiting for the tow truck guys. Please? I swear I'll pay you back."

"Lady, I don't want your money, okay? Plus, I'm already kind of late so I have to get going."

"No, wait! I'll owe you one. Anything you want, at any time, I'll be there!"

"Anything, you say?"

"Anything, Santana."

"Sweet, well then I'm calling in that favor now. Since the ice cream is already melting as we speak, let's throw them in my freezer and we can get going. Oh, and I also want at least a third of them for keeps. Deal?"

"But I thought you didn't like any of the flavors I gave you, that's why I've been giving you a different kind everyday. I never see you eat it though..."

"Not the point, do we have a deal?"

"I guess..."

"Fantastic, let's get a move on then."

* * *

A/N: Yay for new fic! It's a relatively short one. Only about 3 chapters long I think and I don't plan to further it. It's just something funny and fluffy to bring in the new year. I kind of miss writing nonsensical humor after writing my other fics for so long so I'm bringing it back to you via Santana and her taco truck. Yes the pun is already there I know but let's be serious, taco trucks are amazing haha. I hope you all enjoy this and let me know what you think :)


	2. Chapter 2

We roll up to the after-school building and I deliberately park across three parking spots, blocking in Quinn's shiny blue bug. I pause in the truck to send out a quick text before going to the back freezers to grab a couple of boxes. With natural finesse, I kick the door shut behind me then make my way to the front of the building before knocking loudly and looking back just to make sure the ice cream lady wasn't thinking about running off with my truck. I knock again, louder this time, until a shrill voice answers me back on the other side.

"Santana Lopez, can you please at least try not to break down my door?"

"Nice to see you too, Quinn. Mind helping me with these boxes? They are kind of heavy."

"Wait, where did you get all of these? You usually only come with one box. Did you rob the ice cream lady or something? Hold on, who is that in your truck? Oh my god, San. Tell me you did not kidnap the poor woman just to get the kids some treats!"

"Slow your roll, Quinn. God, I didn't kidnap her. I'm giving her a lift and in return she gave me a few more popsicles for your little germ ridden and snot nosed children."

"Whatever, Santana. Don't even lie and say you don't like my kids, you teach them how to make spit balls when I'm not looking. Anyway, heads up because she's walking over here right now. I see you haven't lost your taste in blondes yet..."

"Oh screw you, Quinn. We went on like two dates and-"

"Hi, I'm Brittany. I thought I should bring over the rest of the boxes so Santana doesn't have to make two trips. Are they for you?"

Quinn and I both glance over to the taller blonde hidden behind two stacked boxes of ice cream. A few wisps of her hair can be seen sticking out but her face is hidden. Laughing at the absurd image of a talking box of ice cream with the voice of a certain ice cream maker, I hip check Quinn to the side before telling Brittany to follow me into the storeroom with the rest of the boxes.

I crack open the door to listen in as Quinn and Brittany introduce themselves and open the freezer to make some room for the rest of the frozen products. Trying to finish everything quickly I tear open the boxes and mumble a quick thanks when Brittany sets the rest on the ground beside me . I grab a few individual popsicles and stack them inside the freezer, being careful not to tip them over while eavesdropping on the conversation behind me.

"So you're a teacher, Quinn? That's great! I didn't know these were for the kids. You could have the rest in Santana's truck if you want? I can always make more."

"Oh no, thank you. That's really kind of you but this is already a lot of ice cream. There's enough now to last a month and I really don't want the kids to go bananas when I'm watching them. I'm only an after school teacher really. Kind of like a babysitter and tutor all rolled into one. Parents these days work long hours and the kids can't really stay at home by themselves so they enroll them here. At least I can help with their homework and they can continue learning in a safe environment."

"Wow, that sounds awesome, but a little sad and lonely for the kids."

"Well, all the ice cream will definitely help for sure. Thanks again. Santana has brought us a box for the past couple of weeks and the kids love her for it."

"Wait, are you saying that Santana has brought you guys ice cream these past couple of weeks?"

Quickly shoving the rest of the frozen treats in the fridge, I dust off my hands loudly and march back outside. Ready to leave and unprepared for the questioning gaze that Brittany gives me on the way out, I yell a goodbye over my shoulder to Quinn and head back to my truck. Her loud response to call her more often is the last thing I hear before jumping back into my vehicle. Not knowing what to expect from Brittany and how to deal with the upcoming ride, I bite my nails in anticipation and wait for her to join me in my truck.

I am jolted out of my thoughts when the door creaks open and Brittany slips back into her seat and buckles in. I reach for the key to turn the engine on and the loud rumbling noise of my truck makes me grimace as I take a peek at my neighbor before finally deciding to break our silence.

"So, where do you live?"

"So you've been bringing a box of my ice cream to Quinn?"

Her question is almost whisper soft as I strain to hear her and I cringe at the sad way in which she asks me.

"No...sort of. I mean, it's for the kids and I don't eat them so why waste it, right?"

"Do you not like my dino-pops, Santana?"

"No, that's not why! Well, I mean in the beginning yes, but then I tried one and it was really good, so I just didn't know until..."

"Can you drive me home now?"

"Brittany, it's not like-"

"Take me home, please."

* * *

Not knowing what else to say, I begin driving as she directs me to her house. We don't speak further until I pull into her driveway. I open my mouth to say something but she slides out of the truck before I can speak and moves to the back to grab the rest of her boxes.

I follow her lead by picking up a few boxes myself and walk to her front door where she silently walks in and heads straight towards the back of the building. The darkness in the house is chased away as she turns on the light in the kitchen area and I survey her work area.

"Holy shit, did a bomb go off in here?"

"No, I just don't have time to clean. Can you just put those boxes in that freezer over by the corner? I'll get the rest of the boxes."

"Wait, Britt-"

She speeds away again and I sigh in exasperation as I place the boxes in one of her freezers before looking at the disaster area that is her kitchen. Stains and miscellaneous items are lying all over the counters not to mention the amount of dropped bowls and tupperware on the floor. Seeing as I like a clean work area I quickly pick up the things on the floor and throw them in her already full sink. Spotting a clean towel I rinse it in water before swiftly wiping down all the flat surfaces as hard as I can.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh this? Hope you don't mind, it's an annoying habit of mine when I see a mess. Here, let me just wipe off the table."

"No, Santana. Thank you, but you can leave it."

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal."

"Give me the towel, Santana."

"Look, I know I was an ass to you, so just let me help you clean up a bit. Take it as my apology or something, okay?"

"Give me the towel."

She takes a sharp step forward and I back up out of instinct with the towel still in my hand. Thankfully my position already places me directly behind her kitchen island and I don't know why but I hide the cloth behind me as she moves around the tabletop.

I do what all animals do when they are cornered, I run. I see her leap to catch ahold of me but I'm already on the other side, grinning when she spins on her heel and chases me around the table. I laugh when I feel her fingers touch my back but I put on a little bit more speed as I run away from her again, victorious in my escape. But I celebrated too soon as I stick my tongue out at her from across the island and without warning she moves back before springing forward and sailing over the kitchen table. She fly tackles me to the ground and rolls us all across her dirty floor and the air is knocked out of my chest as I feel my back hit the ground hard and her soft body falls on top of mine.

"Victory is mine! KO, Santana, you lose! I am the winner!"

"I'm sorry, okay? You win! I won't clean your kitchen, jeez. You know normal people would love for someone to clean their kitchen for free."

"Well I guess I'm not normal then."

"Definitely not."

We share a smile and burst out laughing as the ridiculousness of our actions comes to mind and I wipe my eyes as they begin to tear. Her thumb reaches up to gently rub my cheek as she shows me what looks like some flour stuck on my face. Suddenly mindful that Brittany is still half on top of me I clear my throat and push up on my elbows before looking up at her.

"So yeah, I think I should go soon."

"Right yeah. Here, let me help you up."

"Thanks. Look, I'm sorry about giving your ice cream away. I know it's not very nice of me to be giving away things that were meant for me and you must've put a lot of work into making them by hand as evidenced by the state of this kitchen. Next time I'll just buy a case off of you, how's that?"

"Wait, how long have you been giving your ice cream to Quinn?"

"Um, I don't know, starting week before last, I guess. Why?"

"Did she eat any?"

"I don't know, probably not since she's into healthy shit now. Why do you ask?"

"I just don't want her to be offended."

"I'm sure Quinn won't mind her kids eating ice cream, she says they focus better if she gives them a treat as a reward."

"No, I meant what I wrote on the inside..."

"Inside of what?"

"The popsicle stick..."

"Oh, did you put funny jokes on them or something? That's pretty clever actually. Don't worry, I don't think Quinn would mind. But no sweat, I'll just text her tomorrow so she knows what to do with them."

"No, that's not why."

"What do you mean? What did you write on them?"

"Nothing, don't worry. Just tell Quinn that I'm sorry and if I knew about you and her I wouldn't have put it on there."

She walks briskly past me and heads towards her front door before I can think to jog after her.

"Brittany, stop! Wait! What do you mean Quinn and me? What did you write on the popsicle?"

"Nothing, don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Remember to text Quinn. Wait, you know what? Better yet, let me have her number so I can text her myself."

"Brittany, stop. What are you talking about?"

She must not have heard me because she begins talking to herself, looking up at me once in a while to mumble an apology. I try to piece together what she is saying but it is all confusing until I finally latch onto something she says.

"I mean Mike said you were single and I thought, why not? But if I knew you were with Quinn then I wouldn't have put my number on there or put those cheesy one-liners. And, oh God, the kids must think I'm crazy; I probably scarred them for life. This is all my fault. I mean, I liked you the first time I saw you and you were so sexy working on the grill and I was so surprised you liked girls so I thought I could make a move but I got scared so-"

"Stop. Rewind."

I go over everything Brittany has said so far and try to organize my thoughts to better understand the situation.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions and you're going to answer me with a yes or no, okay?"

"Yes."

"Mike told you I was single?"

"Yes."

"Damn that tricky bastard, he told me the same thing about you. I can't believe he was right all along."

"Wait, you asked about me? Why didn't you say anything to me then? I mean, I thought I was pretty clear every time I tried to flirt with you but you never seemed to care. I thought you didn't like me and every time I came over you would be so cold towards me."

"Never mind that now, back to my questions. You put your number on a popsicle stick meant for me?"

"Yes. I mean, I thought it was cute like maybe you could call me sometime and we can go hang out or you could teach me how to cook some of your food. Or just make out if you're into that. I mean who wouldn't be into that if you were the one they were kissing? If I knew you already had someone I wouldn't have tried, I mean, I'm no home wrecker!"

"Wait, so you think Quinn and I are dating?"

"Do you mean you're not? Wait. Hold on. Do you secretly like me too then, Santana?"

Oh god, I can't believe it, this whole time I've got it all wrong. You really are stupid, Santana! I obviously jumped to conclusions and became such an ass to the girl that's been nothing but nice to me. I am horrible. Hold on, why is she smiling at me like that?

Trying not to fidget under her stare I answer her, choosing to ignore her second question completely.

"Quinn and I went on a couple of dates but we found out that we're better off as friends. Hold on, what about you and that blond guy I saw before?"

"You didn't answer my other question, Santana! What blond guy?"

"The one with the frog lips. You know, he has a trouty mouth and all that."

"Oh, you mean Sam! Definitely not, don't be silly. Sam is my cousin!"

Miserably having an internal debate with my idiot self about appearances being deceiving I don't notice the sly grin that crosses Brittany's face. Her smirk is gone by the time I look up but her eyes seem to spark when they connect with mine. I mumble something under my breath to release a bit of the awkward tension in the room before focusing back on her when she begins to speak.

"Didn't you eat any of the popsicles I gave you?"

"Well, I had one before, I guess. Mike bought one for me and told me to try it so I finally did."

"And what did it say on the inside?"

"Umm, something about dinosaurs in a car crash? I can't remember."

"So you've never looked at the ones I gave you personally?"

"No, I guess not. I usually just give them to the kids. Sorry..."

"I guess that explains why you never wanted to hang out with me."

"Brittany, it's not that I hate you or anything but you took my spot on the lot and I was being a little petty and I guess I'm just not a big fan of change."

"Wait, is that it? If you want we can switch places, I don't mind. I usually park there because I leave earlier than the rest of you guys so it's easier for me to just drive out when I'm done. You can have it back if you want."

"Seriously, are you for real?"

"Yeah, sure. On one condition. From now on you have to eat every popsicle I give you. I'll even give you a box every week for Quinn's kids. Deal?"

"That's it? Well I don't see a benefit in that for you but if you're fine with it then yes, deal."

I stick my hand out for her to shake and I smile wide when she shakes my hand roughly before pulling me into a one-armed hug and I laugh at her enthusiasm. I don't pull out of the hug even as the seconds tick by and our embrace rolls past the time where casual acquaintances would've parted. I don't know what it is about her hug but the minute I feel her body relax and her other hand joins with its partner at the dip in my back I follow along and subconsciously pull her further into me.

Usually by now my body would be rejecting such an intimate moment with someone I barely know but it continues to stay still and seep in the warmth from the soft body surrounding me. Her nose finds a nice spot in the side of my neck and I subconsciously turn my head closer to her only to realize that she smells like some exotic fruit mixture, which I didn't mind at all because that's just delicious. That is until I feel a couple of fingers begin dancing and tapping on my spine. I shiver a little but let the movement continue on before it shifts to a more languid perusal of my lower back and I begin to sway a little on my feet.

"Brittany?"

"Hmm?"

"Your hands..."

The minute I say that the hand on my back becomes bolder and I squirm closer out of shock when I feel them slide down and reach my butt. I shimmy out of her embrace and let out a yelp when I feel a sharp pinch on my backside and back pedal towards the door and away from the smirking woman.

"Hey you...on my...what are you? I think going to go now, bye!"

"Hey, wait!"

I don't hear the rest of Brittany's words as I scurry across her lawn and back into my truck. I hear her laughter behind me though as I make my retreat and glance over quickly to see her wink and mouth the words 'See you tomorrow' before I jump behind the wheel and drive off. Tomorrow is looking to be a long day already. Guess I'm not watching Real Housewives after all.

* * *

True to her word, the area that normally belonged to Brittany is left wide open and I maneuver my truck into the spot eager to get the work day going but also anxious to see a certain blonde haired vixen. After fretting an entire night over how I would act or what I should say when I see her in the morning I feel momentarily disappointed when I don't see the obnoxiously bright unicorn on the side of a truck and the annoying chime that calls all ice cream lovers near and far. Actually the spot that I used to occupy is still vacant and I wonder if Brittany's truck has yet to be completely restored to its original glory.

Not having much time to focus on why a certain someone wasn't here, I throw my mind back towards the daily task of prepping my food and workstation. I hear a rapping sound on my counter window while mid-chop and I quickly turn around hoping to see Brittany but all I manage to see is the top of someone's head and I quickly realize that the auburn colored hair that is moving back and forth in front of my window belongs to the owner of the new vegan truck. Oh great, it's Rachel freaking Berry.

"A very good morning to you, Santana. I just came over to inquire about your recent change in location. I did not know you were allowed to switch places and was wondering if you could enlighten me on how I could go about doing the same? I have to admit I've been eyeing Noah's area for a while now."

"The only person that eyes Puckerman's area more than the girls he supposedly hooks up with, is himself. But hey at least he's kosher right? Enjoy your kielbasa then and don't bother me about that. I just switched with Brittany is all."

"Santana that is so vulgar! And you know I'm a vegetarian, how can you be so crude? Anyway, if you did switch with Brittany then where is she? Normally I see her arriving relatively early, usually right after me of course. Do you know where she is?"

"No, now leave me alone. Don't you have some grass food to make or something?"

"No need to be snippy, Santana. I was just making conversation."

"Good, conversation made, now go away."

Rolling my eyes at the exasperated look Rachel sends me, I purposely pull out my tubs of sliced meat and begin marinating them in full view until I hear a loud huff. I smirk when I hear her mumbling something about animal cruelty before walking back to her own truck. Briefly bringing out the rest of my ingredients I let my mind wander back to the night before as I chop and prep mindlessly.

A loud knock startles me and I accidentally nick myself on my finger before cursing and running to the sink to clean off the wound. Mindful of my hand and the food around me I wrap it in a towel before searching for my first aid kit. Believing that the knock came from the same midget troll bothering me not too long ago I shout loud enough so the person outside can hear me.

"When I come outside, Berry, I'm going to slap you so hard your face is going to feel like mashed up tofu! You almost made me cut my finger off! Didn't I tell you to leave me alone? I swear when I get out there I'm going to-"

Someone pops up near my back window and I almost trip in my search for the first aid kit when I see a familiar face frowning in my direction. Brittany taps loudly on the door again and I raise my hand in greeting until I notice the towel still wrapped around it and wince when I see her worried face again. I point towards the front of my truck to indicate where I can meet her before picking up my first aid box and walking to the front. I unlock the passenger door for Brittany to climb in before sitting down myself and looking for the antibiotic and bandage I would need to stop the bleeding.

"You're hurt, Santana."

"Yeah, just a small cut on my finger though, nothing too serious."

"What happened?"

"Oh nothing, just wasn't paying attention is all. The troll distracted me this morning so that might have been it."

"The troll?"

"The grass eater that owns the vegan truck."

"Oh you mean Rachel? What did she want?"

"Nothing really. I just didn't want to hear her talk this early in the morning."

"You are such a grump, Santana. How did you even get into the food service industry? Here, let me help you with that."

She grabs the first aid box from out of my lap before I can protest and rummages through it until she finds some alcohol wipes and a small bandage. Pulling my hand into hers she takes the towel off and clicks her tongue in disapproval at the bloody sight. I hardly notice the amount of blood left on the towel but wince when she wipes the wound quickly before applying the antibiotic cream and sticking a bandage over it. My heart kicks into overtime as I watch her give a tiny kiss on top of the band-aid and I sincerely hope she doesn't see me blush. Ethnic people don't blush, right? She keeps my hand in her lap and I notice the slow but soft brush of her thumb over my wound.

"You should really be more careful, Santana."

"Oh don't worry, it's my right hand and I'm a lefty so I should be fine."

"Yes, but you should still be more careful. Hey, since I'm not working right now how about I lend you a hand around the kitchen?"

"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to help me. I can manage for the day. Is your truck still dead?

Her sad expression tells me everything and I gather up my nerves to flip her hand over before outlining the lines in her palm.

"I know some people if you need anything like parts. Just let me know and I'll try and help you as much as I can."

"That's sweet, thank you. I just don't know what to do now, I thought I could bring you some breakfast for helping me out yesterday but I don't even know what you like so I came over to ask but I just seem to be bringing bad luck on everyone."

I give her hand a little squeeze before standing up and pulling her towards my kitchen area. I search around for a spare apron before passing it to her and pulling out my crate of vegetables that I needed to prep for the week. I walk her over to a cleaner station before showing her where the knives and cutting board are located.

"Is your offer to help me still open? Because I would love an extra set of hands. You don't have to worry about breakfast, I can cook up something quick for the both of us. Do you mind chopping or peeling the rest of that?"

I point over to some tomatoes and potatoes before walking over to the kitchen and throwing some eggs on the fryer. Considering it is morning and making an omelet is the perfect breakfast item I quickly make enough for two and plate it before checking my companion's progress. Suffice to say there are going to be some odd looking tomatoes and some weirdly peeled potatoes being served today.

"Brittany, you doing okay?"

"Yeah...I think so."

"Here, let me do the rest and then we can eat breakfast together. I made omelets, I hope you like it."

"I'm sorry, I'm not doing it right."

"Don't worry, grab the food on the table and I'll show you how I normally do it."

Expertly peeling the rest of the potatoes I settle on just showing her some tips on doing things quick and efficiently in the kitchen so she can remember for later on today. I didn't realize how close we were standing until I see a fork dangling in front of my mouth and I look up to see an optimistic smile on Brittany's face. Realizing that she was trying to feed me I open my mouth to tell her it wasn't necessary except instead of words coming out I receive a forkful of eggs. Not wanting to choke I chew on my food slowly before giving her a wry smile and finishing up the rest of my food preparation. I mumble a thank you to her before moving over and eating the rest of my own food.

We continue to talk as I poke at my food, enjoying her company more than my own cooking. I don't notice that my plate is completely empty until Brittany takes it from me and puts it in the sink before walking away and promising to return as quickly as possible with something special.

Not a second later she pops back into my trunk, slightly sweaty and out of breath with a popsicle in hand and a beautiful smile. Laughing at the disheveled manner in which she climbs back into my truck I hurriedly go to my fridge and grab a bottle of Jarritos for her to drink. We trade items and I laugh again when I see her gulp down the soda and let out a quiet 'excuse me' after a large burp. Not one to be patient I unwrap my ice cream and eye the oddly shaped dinosaur before chomping down on it and enjoying the crisp and cool taste of an orange flavored popsicle.

I enjoy the treat for a while until I begin to see some words peek out at me from the wooden popsicle stick in the middle of my dessert. Lifting an eyebrow at the woman in front of me I silently question what is written on there but the only response I receive is a wink and a small nod to finish my treat. Curious but unwilling to finish the delicious popsicle just yet, I make a show of biting an arm off the half eaten dinosaur before licking my lips and speaking.

"So what's on the stick this time? Your number?"

"No, I think I wasted enough time as is trying that method out. This is something new."

* * *

The rest of the workday went by smoothly as I continued to serve customers by manning the grill and having Brittany deal with the orders at the service window. For a moment I even forgot about the clearly printed address on the leftover popsicle stick until I see another swish of blonde hair at my side. I asked Brittany what it all meant but she kept quiet and only gave me a smile instead before telling me to meet her there after work. Suffice to say my curiosity is definitely piqued and I mull over her words for the rest of the day.

Working with Brittany goes surprisingly well and I even manage to almost double my revenue for the day as the orders continue to pour in well into the afternoon. I try hard to pay attention to the stove but there have been a few close calls when I've damn near well sizzled my own hand because of my lovely companion. Given that my truck didn't really have much space in it to begin with I feel Brittany dance around me as I ask her to pass me a few ingredients every now and then.

What I wasn't ready for were her lingering touches on my hips, her breathy whispers against my ear as she tells me the next few orders and her general close proximity to my body. I'm still unsure if I'm sweating because the grill is hot or because of the way my body is responding to her. We haven't spoken about the night before and I'm thankful that even with all her displays of cuteness and affection towards me she has kept it professional so far.

Not that I mind that she's being flirty with me it's just I really want to focus at work and Brittany with all her blue eyes, cute smile and melodic laughter is making it horribly difficult to pay attention. Plus, I want to do things right. What kind of person would I be if I didn't even get the chance to ask her out properly? Also, I kind of feel all sorts of gross with sweat and food plastered all over my body.

Too bad I didn't even get the chance to ask Brittany to wait for me as she flies out of my truck almost as soon as my customers peter away for the night. My hand is still holding a spatula as I raise it up in an attempt to call her back but her voice floats back to me as she promises to meet with me later instead. I answer back in the affirmative but I hardly think she even heard me as I look out my window and I watch as her body exits the lot before losing her in the busy streets.

I fix up the rest of the lingering customers and quickly pack all my belongings before heading back home for a quick shower. No need to smell all sorts of rank when meeting Brittany again, right? Trying not to worry so much about appearances I throw on some comfortable clothes before heading out. The address was within walking distance and the wind seems to have died down enough for me to walk around with a light jacket without feeling cold. I finger the lone popsicle stick in my pocket, pulling it out every so often to stare at the inscribed letters and numbers. What could Brittany possibly want to meet me there for?

* * *

Arriving at the address I am met with a darkened building while turning every which way to see if I can spot Brittany. The neighborhood around here is relatively safe so I had nothing to worry about but the dark corners and shadows lurking all over the property seemed to jump out at me at every turn. My worst fears come to life when one of them actually does jump out at me.

"BOO!"

"Oh my god! Who are you? What do you want? I don't have any money but don't think just because I'm small I won't kick your ass! Who do you think- Brittany? Is that you?"

"Hi, Santana!"

"You almost scared me half to death, woman! What the hell were you doing?"

"Waiting for you of course."

"Wait, am I late?"

"No silly, now come on, I don't want to get caught talking out here."

I hiss out her name in an attempt to get her to stop but before I can even get the last syllable out I watch dumbfounded as she nimbly hops up onto a dumpster and vaults over the metal fence surrounding the building. Trying not to imagine what that kind of dexterity would be like in the bedroom I hesitantly walk over to the fence and watch as she motions for me to wait. She disappears for only a minute until the screech of metal against concrete greets my ears and I see her beckon me over to a small alcove where the fence doesn't wrap all the way to the buildings edge. I hurry over in fear that someone would spot or hear us as I approach the small hole.

"Brittany, what are you doing? This is trespassing! Oh my god, we're going to get into so much trouble!"

"Come on, scaredy pants. We won't get in trouble, I promise. Plus, I've done this before so just trust me and come on!"

She slinks back inside and I mumble an array of curse words before throwing caution to the wind and climbing through the small hole and emerging on the other side of the fence. I look for a flash of blonde and my eyes catch her in front of a side door next to the building jiggling at the doorknob and mumbling something under her breath. The door squeaks quietly open and my jaw must have dropped to the floor in shock as the image of innocent and kind Brittany is replaced with dangerous cat burglar Brittany. I'm unsure which one turns me on more.

"Come on, Santana! I'm pretty sure the security guard isn't going to help you pick your jaw off the ground."

"Brittany! How did you do that? Did you just pick that lock? Just who exactly are you?"

"Not telling, now come on, I have something to show you."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise, now follow me."

I hurry along after her and the minute the door closes the large industrial sized lights above us turn on. For a second I am blinded and I shield my eyes before gingerly looking around to be confronted with industrial machinery and multiple conveyor belts surrounding the ground floor. Watching Brittany walk along and flicking certain machines on is mesmerizing. She flits from one end to the other, completely at ease and comfortable in this environment. The hum of the large machines all coming to life fills the quiet space and I look on in awe as something begins to come along one of the conveyor belts. Brittany waves me over and I chuckle as I watch her giddily jump up and down looking anxiously between me and the opening of the conveyor belt.

Her restless body is distracting enough so I put a stop to it by boldly pressing a hand into her back. I'm rewarded with a bright smile before blue eyes turn back towards the conveyor belt and not long after a small shriek of excitement brings my attention away from the warmth under my hand to the small object coming out of the machines. A perfectly wrapped chocolate bar slides out of the machine and I vaguely remember the delicious sweetness from my youth as I look upon the familiar silver and gold of the wrapper.

"Isn't this just like the Willy Wonka Chocolate factory, Santana? I love this place and I never get tired of trying their new candies. Do you know the brand 'Ducks in a Hat'? They're kind of a local favorite and-"

"Know them? Brittany, I used to eat this almost everyday! My mom had to scare me with childhood stories about cavities rotting my teeth so bad that I would end up with dentures and gum mashed potatoes like my abuela. They had a great marketing plan too with the gummy bears hanging off broccoli to make kids eat their vegetables. How did you get us in here, Brittany?"

"Umm well, that's a good question. Which... I will answer later after we eat that delicious chocolate. Come on, Santana, you can't say no to a 'Duck's in the Hat' original chocolate bar."

"No, I guess not, but I don't think we're suppose to be in here. I mean, isn't trespassing illegal?"

"Don't worry about it, now here, say ahhh-"

"What?"

Something delicious and sweet is shoved into my mouth before I can reply and I swirl my tongue around to taste the chocolate but my eyes widen in surprise when my tongue meets a single digit still in my mouth. I can't chew the chocolate for fear of hurting Brittany but I'm afraid if I open my mouth now some drool along with the chocolate will fall out so I stand there like an idiot with Brittany's finger in my mouth. I narrow my eyes at her when I notice the devious smirk she sends my way, knowing full well that there is only one way to get her finger out of my mouth.

I hum and roll my eyes at her antics before taking a deep breath to slow down my rapidly beating heart. I concentrate on rolling my tongue over her chocolate coated digit before noticing the heavy breathing in front of me as the once playful atmosphere disappears completely with the rise and fall of Brittany's chest and my sudden impulse to keep her finger in my mouth. My hand reaches up to hold onto her wrist as I feel her hand begin to tremble as I am not yet ready to release the prisoner trapped between my lips. I smile at both the sweet taste in my mouth along with the slow creep of red rising along Brittany's pale neck.

A loud bang startles us both and I open my mouth in surprise before missing the sweet taste of Brittany and chocolate mixed together. I hear Brittany mumble something under her breath as I take in the curly haired man standing before us. A night security guard it seems have stumbled upon us both and a flash of being arrested and thrown into a dirty jail cell flashes before my eyes. He hollers at us once he catches sight of both of us and I open my mouth to say something but Brittany answers him before I can even push out a word.

"Hi Will..."

"Brittany? Who's that? You know you're not allowed back here. One day it's not going to be me who catches you here and you'll really be in trouble."

"Aww but you can't blame me, I love it here and sometimes I miss the old workplace, ya know."

"You know your uncle is always willing to give you your old job back. He still doesn't understand why you want to even sell ice cream on the streets when you can be Vice President of the company again."

"Vice President?" I cough out as I somehow found my voice again. A sheepish expression falls over Brittany's face and I don't know whether to believe that I'm in some weird dream sequence. I look incredulously between her and the security guard until I realize the hard tug on my hand as I am dragged away from the grumbling man behind me.

"Brittany! Don't let me catch you here again, okay? This is not a date location so please don't bring anybody back here. Your uncle will fire me if he hears about this!"

"Mmhm, okay, thanks. Bye Will!"

* * *

She drags me out back into the street as quickly as she can without running and I almost stumble into her back from the abrupt halt she makes at the street corner. My mind whirls with all the information about the suddenly not so simple ice cream vendor across from me.

"Before you say anything, can you just give me a minute to explain myself?"

I could no more deny her pleading earnest face than a free supply of ice cream. I lift an eyebrow and wave her to continue while keeping my thoughts at bay. I watch her take a second for herself before reaching for my hand again and holding it gently between hers.

"I'm not rich. Well, I mean I have a trust fund but I never use it, I swear! If that's what you're thinking, that is. My uncle owns the factory so I got an easy job straight out of college. I was good at it but there was always something missing and I can't tell you how many times I sat in my office thinking what it would be like to actually speak to the people enjoying the candy. There's so much disconnect between a product and its consumer. Don't get me wrong, I love this factory and made good money but there was just nothing fulfilling about it. So long story short, I saved up a bunch of money, told my uncle I quit, bought an ice cream truck, pimped out my ride and now here I am."

"Wow..."

"Good wow or bad wow?"

"I'm not sure."

Trying not to let the way her face fell affect me as I pulled my hand slowly out of her grasp I mull over everything that was just said to me. I mean, let's be honest, who wouldn't want to get with a rich girl? But what would that say about me if that was all I was looking for? I must have been thinking longer than normal because the sound of feet shuffling on the concrete reaches my ears. I watch Brittany wring her hands together and look at me expectantly. Making up my mind I open my mouth to speak but she beats me to it by shocking me with more words.

"I like you! I know this is an unusual circumstance where I'm confessing my feelings but hear me out. Okay, so I've liked you for awhile and I mean I was hoping me showering you with candy might help you want to like me too. But I mean if you don't then that's okay. you won't hurt my feelings. Well, I mean I'd be hurt a little bit but honestly I know this is weird and out of left field but, like, is there a possibility that maybe we can go on a date? I promise to bring you somewhere really nice, but not too nice, unless you like the ritzy places? But you don't seem like-"

"Stop."

"Sorry, I ramble when I'm nervous and I'm kind of-"

"Brittany, please calm down. How about this? I'll switch spots with you again since your truck will probably be ready by tomorrow and we can talk about all of this over lunch, okay?"

"But you really wanted that spot and I stole it from you."

"No, you didn't. You definitely deserve that spot and I was being pissy about it so we're going to switch back. Plus, Rachel has been bugging me about it and I would rather go back to my old spot then park next to her again."

"But..."

"No buts. It's been a long day for both of us and we still need to get home to prepare for work tomorrow. So let's just go home and I'll meet you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay..."

I smile reassuringly back at her dejected face until she smiles timidly back at me. Putting a hand on her shoulder I walk closer to give her cheek a soft kiss. I linger near her for a little while longer before speaking quietly into her ear and walking away.

"Thanks for tonight, it was really fun. Oh and I like you too so see you tomorrow for our lunch date, Britt."

* * *

A/N: This is way longer than I expected honestly. Thank you for those who waited for so long for an update. Also to the reviewers, as I stated this will only last 3 chapters so the next one is the finale. Sorry I just don't see the need to prolong it. I still have to finish Sky High and thats going to take up most of my time. Did the Brittana fandom finally wake up yet? What with all the gifs and the explosion on my dash I thought we've been revived. Let's see what happens this Thursday then. I hope everyone enjoyed this recent chapter. And thanks again for reading and reviewing :)


	3. Chapter 3

To say that I am distracted is putting things very lightly. My morning started off as usual with me prepping up the truck for another day of work until I realized I still had no idea what to do about the lunch date that I was supposed to have planned. It's not like I was thinking properly when I asked Brittany out last night. What, with her bright blue eyes, sweet smile and overall beautiful personality screwing up my thought processes.

The words just slipped out between my lips and in hindsight I realized I wasn't prepared for a date at all. Never mind a lunch break during a work day where I'd most likely be sweaty and smelling of cooked meats. But as always my mouth moves before my mind does and now I'm nervously checking the time as I fail to come up with any good ideas except eating out of my food truck.

Of course I don't find any traffic on my way to the parking lot and I curse my luck as I could have used the time stuck on the highway to come up with something special to do later on. I pull into the lot and turn into my old spot before I hit the brakes and sigh. No way could I take Brittany's slot again so I put my truck in reverse and back up into the spot I was originally delegated to.

Trying to put the thoughts of the pretty blonde to the back of my head I begin my prep work for the day like clockwork. I pull the prepared food out from the fridge and throw them on the grill to heat up while reaching for the container of vegetables I normally have stored. But I realized too late that I've forgotten to prep enough for the day and cursed myself for being distracted yet again by my own amorous feelings toward a certain ice cream vendor.

Not having the time to go out to the local market to buy more vegetables and unable to think of any other options, I suck up my pride and march over to the nauseating lime green vegan truck. The high screech singing coming from inside lets me know well in advance that the hobbit was inside working so I kick on the side of her truck as hard as possible and smile when I hear a surprised scream and resulting crash from within. A disheveled mop of hair pops out from behind the truck's window and I grin at unnerving the girl. My smile is short lived as I remembered what I really needed so I yell out to the person inside the truck.

"Hey, midget. Open up!"

"Santana, is that you? Are you out of your mind? You nearly scared me half to death!"

"Well next time I'll be sure to scare the rest of you into the grave then. Anyway I want to buy something from you."

"You? Buy something from me? Am I being punk'd?"

The munchkin's immediate change from shocked to camera ready startled me as I watch her begin to fix her hair and gloss her lips all while looking around. My incredulous nature must show on my face because her actions soon come to a stop and what looks like an annoyed Rachel soon replaces her earnest demeanor.

"So I guess Ashton isn't really hiding behind your truck, is he?"

"Rachel, do you really think there are cameras here?"

"No... but one can never be too sure. Besides the fact that you've never bought anything from me before and have actually made attempts to sabotage my business. Why should I serve you any of my food, Santana?"

"I don't want your nasty rabbit food, I just want to buy some veggies off of you. I know you have a bunch on the side for emergencies, even though I know you never end up using them since you don't even get that many customers, so I'm offering to buy them from you."

"And why should I sell to you? You've been nothing but mean to me since I arrived here. I don't think I need to help you at all."

Her sassiness is tempting me to slash her tires but I really need the greens today and I suppose I can bite the bullet for once. I do need the day to go over well so I can quickly figure out what to do for my lunch date with Brittany. Mustering every ounce of strength I have I beam the most convincing smile at the short girl in front of me before forcing out the words I need to get her to sell me her goods.

"Come on, it was all in good fun. I'm just kidding around."

"You threw water balloons filled with green paint at my windshield..."

"I was only helping you go green."

"You filled my fridge with dirt! Never mind how you got into my truck to begin with, do you know how hard it is to get dirt out of my hair?"

"Isn't that what you call organic though?"

"Oh yeah? Well what about the chickens you set loose in my truck? How is that even helpful?"

"They're free range?"

"I'm vegan!"

"Okay my bad, so my jokes were a bit too much. But think of it this way. If I buy a bulk of your produce today, you would have saved the cost of perhaps some of them rotting or becoming unusable days from now. From a business standpoint I'm saving you money and we all know we can use the bit of extra cash nowadays."

"You're going to have to do better than that, Santana."

Grumbling about unfair midget extortion prices I offer up twice the amount to buy the vegetables off of her. I see her troll eyes squinting at me and I thought I had finally purchased what I needed when she shakes her head no and I let out a frustrated grunt.

"God don't be such a sour puss, Rachel. I'm already offering to pay double what you paid for them at market. Just sell me the god damn greens and I'll leave you alone."

"No way, not with that attitude. I suggest you ask Noah or perhaps Mike would be willing to share some with you."

"Puck never has veggies, he thinks they cause cancer or some shit and Mike only has enough for his food."

"Santana, I don't understand why you need it so bad. I know you probably have enough left over from yesterday to be able to make it until after lunch time. I'm sure you can make a quick trip to the market then and come back before your next rush even begins."

"I can't...I'm busy."

"With what, pray tell?"

"That's none of your business, now come on, just sell me the damn vegetables!"

"Tell you what. I'll sell them to you for double the price and you have to buy one of my speciality salads every day for a month."

"2 weeks and you got a deal."

"Done, nice doing business with you, Santana!"

"Likewise, you overgrown gnome."

Grumbling about the unnecessary chatter that is going on inside the vegan truck I wait impatiently for the troll to pass me the sack of veggies so I can be on my way. When her tiny body finally lugs it towards me I slap the money down on her counter and lift the entire thing over my shoulder before flipping her off and returning to my truck.

* * *

Dropping the sack on the ground near the trucks back door I reach out to pull the door open before tossing the bag into the truck. To my dismay the bag that I had leaned against the truck is suddenly missing. Before I even have time to let loose a string of expletives a small sack goes sailing over my head and into the truck. I duck by instinct and scream bloody murder as my life flashes before my eyes at how close the bag narrowly misses my head.

"You look like you needed a little help."

"I don't need anyone's god damn help you son of a...Brittany?"

"Morning, Santana!"

"Umm, morning. What are you doing here?"

"Well, as it turns out the mechanics needed a little more time so I told them to just drive my truck straight here to the lot when they're done instead of going to pick it up. And I was kind of impatient to see you again."

"Me?"

"No, I meant Puck."

"Oh."

"No silly, I'm just kidding. Of course I wanted to see you. I was hoping maybe we can start our date early, if that's possible?"

Possible, what's possible? The date? But wait; weren't we supposed to meet for lunch? Is this considered a brunch date then? Hold on, am I even ready? Shit. I meant to stop Brittany from walking closer to me so that I can buy myself some time but she seemed to have already maneuvered herself past me and into my truck. I clamber in behind her to at least see what kind of early date she was expecting but I already find her talking to a customer at the window and I shut my mouth to listen in on their conversation.

"Hi, can I get the cheese…wait, who are you?"

"I'm Brittany and I'll be taking your order today!"

"Wait, aren't you the ice cream girl?"

"Yup!"

"You know how to make a quesadilla?"

"Well no, but-"

"Yeah, okay, never mind I think I'm feeling more in the mood for fried rice than quesadilla…"

I rush over just in the nick of time to spot my regular customer and call out to him just as he turns around to head over to Mike's truck. Smiling and apologizing for the mix up I quickly take his order and ask him about his day like I regularly do. I manage to sneak a peek at Brittany next to me and automatically feel horrible when I notice the frown and downcast eyes. Hoping to remedy that soon I move back to my station and throw the food on the grill as fast as possible before wrapping it up and passing it to my customer.

Feeling Brittany's eyes on me I smile and pat her shoulders affectionately before heading to one of my cabinets and rummaging around in the back for something. I hear her shuffle towards me and sigh loudly before speaking as I look around in the drawers.

"I'm sorry, Santana. I didn't know what I was doing and I shouldn't have forced myself on you like that. It was stupid and I could have hurt your business by not knowing how you worked. I probably shouldn't even be here. I'm probably just in the way. I mean, I can't even cut vegetables properly, what business do I have in the food industry, right?"

"Britt, you're not stupid and you have every right to do exactly what you want to do. You're chasing your dreams, isn't that the most important thing?"

"I know, but still. I mean that guy took one look at me and was totally put off. I know I'm not Hispanic but I guess it doesn't really matter to people when it comes to food, does it? I didn't realize the food business was so much harder than making sweets…"

"Don't worry about it, Britt. Some people just don't like to live outside of the box. That guy orders a cheese quesadilla every day at 11:45am sharp and hasn't changed his order once. I even offered to give him some freebies and he turned it down. Sometimes change scares people, I guess."

"Do I scare you, San?"

I pause in my search to think about what Brittany is asking me and it only takes me a second to smile and come up with an answer. I ignore the question for now and continue my search for the two items I thought would help us both out today. I hear the sound of sneakers squeaking behind me and I know I'm making Brittany more anxious by not answering but sometimes she's so cute that I can't help it. Finally finding what I was looking for I grab them and turn around but not before hiding them behind my back and smiling at the sad pout I see on Brittany's face.

"Turn around."

"What? Okay, wait I know I was being a bit-"

"Britt, can you please turn around? Just for a second."

"Okay…"

I wait until her back is directly in front of me before I reach out and wrap a well-worn apron around her waist. At first I feel her jump a little in surprise but I maneuver the material until the front is covering her long legs and wrap the tie ends twice around her hips before neatly tying a bow. Placing my hands on her waist I slowly spin her around, definitely enjoying the fact that I can use this time to admire her body and pay homage to a living reincarnation of Aphrodite. Totally not in a creepy way, of course.

The best part is definitely the surprise and ever-growing smile on Brittany's face as she squeals and pulls me into one of the tightest hugs I've ever been in. Not that I'm complaining of course. I laugh out loud when she swings me side to side as she excitedly says thank you a million times over. I let her enjoy her moment for a bit longer before patting her sides and telling her to calm down for a second. I tell her to look at the words printed on her apron and she laughs loudly at the writing etched across the front.

"Really, San? 'Kiss the cook and I'll kick you'. Where did you even get this?"

"My Grandma had it made for me. She noticed that a lot of guys were hitting on me instead of ordering food so she ordered it from somewhere and wore it as she shooed away all the pervy dudes."

"She sounds badass. I like her idea and I definitely like her style."

"I'm sure you do, Britt. Now for the pièce de résistance, your very own 'Abuelita's Cocina hat!' It's great for everyday wear and keeping your hair back, plus it's a fashion must when you work in my kitchen. Now there's no confusion in where you're working today."

"Ohh, are you suggesting I get to man the grill today, Santana?"

"You know what, Britt; we'll see how you do and if you get lucky, maybe I'll even teach you how to make that cheese quesadilla."

Her smile turns wily and she steps closer towards me as I watch wide-eyed when her face is only a few centimeters away from mine. Her blue eyes look me up and down before I feel something being snatched away from my hands. The sound of her giggling echoes in the truck as she fits the cap over her head and walks back over to the window to greet a new customer. She smiles and gives me a wink before yelling at me to get back to work because she has a new order.

I shake my head and laugh as she reads off the order as I make my way to the grill to make the food. Just as I am almost to the grill I feel a sharp slap on my rear and I turn around incredulously to see Brittany grinning cheekily at me. I say her name in surprise but she only laughs louder as she motions me back to the grill but not before leaving me feeling a little warm with her last comment.

"Just so you know, San. I always get lucky."

* * *

I almost forget that I have a lunch date with Brittany, what with my before lunch rush starting to pour in. Plus the new customers I garnered from just having Brittany at the window seemed to multiply as the minutes ticked by. I didn't even have a moment to stop and think except for the few times the lovely woman by my side came over to check up on me and wipe my sweaty brow. Yeah I know, sweating and smelling like grilled foods is totally sexy.

Half of me is excited and glad for the beautiful company and steady stream of customers and the other half is fretting about what to do when the crowd starts to thin out. I definitely have nothing planned and every single time I try to think of something I become so distracted I begin to mess up orders, burn food and overall just dismantle the entire ordered process of how I make my food. It also doesn't help that it's gotten so hot in the truck that Brittany has rolled up her pants and tied up the corner of her shirt into a knot, showing off that bare midriff every single time she calls to me.

My eyes gravitate to all the newly bared skin and I don't blame anyone but myself when my hand accidentally touches the hot grill. I was initially going for the spatula to the side but I must have miscalculated when Brittany leaned over and her shirt lifted up even more. I hiss loudly when I feel the hot surface and I pull my hand back quickly before shoving it under the faucet and turning on some cool water. The noises I make must have alerted Brittany to my predicament and she quickly fetches my first aid kit.

I see her rummage around for the burn cream and I suddenly have an odd sense of déjà vu as she pulls my hand away from the sink and pats it dry before putting the ointment onto the reddening skin. A piece of gauze and some tape is placed over it and I thank her again for helping me out. She chides me for being so clumsy and I stubbornly deny it by giving the excuse of sweat in my eye. The fib was as good as any but for some reason Brittany knew better and I shy away from her when she sternly calls for my attention.

"Santana."

"What? There really was sweat in my eyes, Britt. I couldn't see and I guess I just burned myself, it's not a big deal, you know?"

"I highly doubt your eyes were blocked by sweat, Santana. And it totally has nothing to do with you looking at me when you should be cooking."

"I don't know what you're talking about. How would you even know I was looking anyway?"

"Because I can. Why won't you just admit you were checking me out? It's all right, I don't mind at all. Actually look all you want but please be careful while cooking, okay?"

"Nuh uh, you can't prove that I'm checking you out, if that is what really happened. I was a bit clumsy, that's all, Britt."

"Are you saying I'm too ugly to check out?"

"What? No, of course not."

"You think I'm unattractive then, don't you?"

"No! That's not what I said! I mean you're totally hot and to be honest I'm surprised you're still here after how I treated you in the beginning. Even agreeing to go on a date with me is kind of mind-blowing to me because I don't even know what to do with a girl as pretty, beautiful, lovely, kind, generous and sexy as you. You're also cute as hell like when you were talking to that kid who had that bitch of a mom and she-"

"San."

"Yes?"

"How did you know I was talking to them if you weren't looking at me at that time?"

"I uh…you…I have supersonic hearing?"

"Yeah, that's totally believable.

"Can we just go back to work now?"

"Whatever you say, boss!"

Sighing loudly but unable to take the smile off my face I turn back to the grill and mentally buckle down to continue through the work day. It certainly didn't help that Brittany continued to wear her shirt up but I can't really complain so I go back to filling orders, only allowing myself to sneak a peek when she walks to my side to tell me what the next order is.

* * *

The minutes tick by and I only slightly char my fingertips a few times during the rush. I narrowly manage to escape cooking myself in the oven when I catch Brittany using the small amount of shirt she has to wipe sweat off her brow. Needless to say, I have a bump on my head the size of a golf ball but at least I didn't fall into the oven, right?

I check the clock quickly and take a gander outside to see that the line is dwindling so I relax a little bit and grab a Jarritos to pass to Brittany. She smiles at me when I tap her arm with it and I momentarily forget that once the rush is over I have to think about what to do for a lunch date. Should I cook her something to eat? No, that's lame. Buy her something from Mike, or even Puck? No, but wait, what does that say about my food then?

I'm glad I still have a few orders left to fill while I ponder over my dilemma. Should I take her out for a fancy lunch somewhere? But it's not like I can drive us both there in my taco truck to eat out. Or can I? Sounds kind of wanky too... No, that's too embarrassing. I can't do that. God, what am I going to do?

Mulling over it and aggressively grilling the meat seem to go hand in hand as I ferociously chop into the sizzling meats while stressing out about the date. I only notice something is happening when I hear Brittany's clear voice telling someone no. I turn around and I see her standing up and glaring down at a customer outside of the window.

"Sir, can you please just order?"

"Well, sweetheart. I'm not too sure. What do you suggest?"

"I suggest you pick a number from the menu."

"How about you give me your number instead?"

I charge my way up to the window and slam the window shut in his face before throwing down the 'sold out' sign effectively covering his ugly face. He bangs on the window a few times and screams for our attention but I yell that we're sold out and ignore his attempts to order again. He soon grows tired and I hear him walk away before peeking out from behind the sign to make sure he's gone.

What he clearly didn't know was that when someone puts up the 'sold out' sign too early, it's a clear indication that there is a problem customer and every food truck in the vicinity is notified. I chuckle when I see Mike refuse the guy service and giggle as Puck threatens him with a butcher's knife but I almost die laughing when even Berry ignores his attempts to buy lunch. I laugh so hard that it takes me more than a second to feel arms wrap around my waist and soft lips brush against my ears.

"You know I could have done that myself. But then again I really liked your knight in shining armor bit too. It was very cute, San."

"I'm not cute...and he was totally being rude. I reserve the right not to serve him any food."

"Right. And the fact that he was asking for my number has nothing to do with anything."

I was going to agree with her but a jumble of gurgling noises leave my throat instead as I feel her hands leave my hips and slide under my shirt. They roam around my stomach and my breath hitches when I feel one hand move up while the other begins to travel south. Her hands slide roughly against my body due to my sweat and I am about to apologize about being so gross when she speaks into my ear again.

"So about that date, Santana..."

"Yeah?"

"What are you planning to-"

An obnoxiously loud ringing begins to sound around us and we both shake free from the spell we seemed to have been under. Saved by the bell, I guess. Well, Brittany's cellphone ringtone to be exact. Her sultry voice suddenly turns into an annoyed huff and I feel one of her hands leave my body to fish for the offending noise maker. Her tone of voice when answering the phone would've been more amusing to me if her hand wasn't still lightly scratching my skin causing me to fidget in her loose embrace.

"Hello. Yes, this is she. It's almost here? And everything is fixed? He is? Okay, I'll wait out front for it. Thanks. Bye."

The hand on my body stills and I frown when I feel it leave my body entirely as Brittany steps back and I turn around in time to laugh at the annoyed look on her face. Guess I'm not the only one disappointed at the interruption. Her demeanor turns apologetic and I smile at the untimely interruption.

"Sorry. They're bringing my truck over here now and I have to go talk to them about stuff. I'm really sorry, San. Can I get a rain check on our date? I promise I'll make it up to you. I just have to figure out my truck business first, okay?"

"Yeah, of course! No problem. I'm glad you finally have your truck back and we can totally catch up another time. I mean we do practically see each other every day, right?"

"Still not enough."

"What?"

Brittany steps back into my personal space so quickly that I try to take a step back out of shock but her hand immediately places itself on my back and holds me still. Her close proximity shocks me for a second until she places her forehead on mine and stares directly at me. Of course my mouth decides to speak before my brain can catch up to it again so the next sentences past my lips aren't exactly smooth.

"Don't kiss me. My face is too oily and sweaty right now."

"And what makes you think I care about that, hmm?"

"Brittany..."

I'm probably imagining things but time just seemed to slow down as I watch her get closer and closer. The smirk she was sporting on her face seemed to dissolve as she tilts her head lower and I swear my heart skipped a beat as I watch her close her eyes and lean further in. My own eyelids close automatically as I wait for the feel of soft lips and the general euphoria of being able to finally kiss her.

Too bad I only get several loud honks and the sound of Brittany cursing underneath her breath. I look up to see her walk away from me and towards the window, peeking out past the sign and being annoyed at what most likely is her truck pulling into the lot. I chuckle at the timing yet again but naturally agree with Brittany when she curses at the world for interrupting her yet again.

"I can't believe this. It's like the second time already! I'm never that unlucky."

"Sometimes luck has nothing to do with it, Britt. Now go on then, silly girl. The mechanic is probably annoyed already that you weren't there to get your truck."

"Ugh fine. But this is not over, San! I will have my kiss, one way or another. Mark my words!"

The back door was already flying open as Brittany jumps out then turns around to blow me a kiss before sprinting to her unicorn truck. I laugh out loud at her antics as I watch her run across the parking lot towards the surly looking mechanic standing by her truck. I watch her apologize before going over the details with the man.

Taking this as my cue to get back to work I take the sign off the window and begin to prep for the after work crowd. I may not have had the chance to think of anything for my date with Brittany but at least now I have a bit of time to plan something out. I've been busy with the truck and cooking that I can hardly remember what I did on my last date so really I have no ideas.

My thoughts are interrupted by the loud but joyous melody of a certain woman's ice cream truck and I turn around to see Brittany walking around inside her vehicle. She must be checking out all equipment to make sure everything is in working order. Glad that her truck problems have been fixed, I turn back to prepping my food.

* * *

A couple of hours go by as I continue to work mindful of the ice cream truck across the lot from me. Sometimes I would feel the loss of Brittany being near me when a customer would order their meal and I look across to see her moving around steadily within her truck. I smile at her when she catches me staring and we exchange silly faces at times.

Suffice to say I actually feel the weight of my loneliness without her near me. It's an odd feeling really because I've never felt it before when I was working by myself but Brittany's presence seemed to have cemented into my life and now my days just seem long and boring.

A loud knock at my window surprises me and my eyes land on a guy with a messy crop of blond hair paired with froggy lips waving at me. Wondering why Brittany's decidedly fish-lipped cousin wanted my attention I turned down the heat on the grill before walking to the window.

"Hi, you must be Santana!"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"I'm Sam. You know, Brittany's cousin?"

"Okay, so what do you want?"

"Britt did say you were a bit grouchy."

"What did you say, guppy face?"

"Nothing! I just wanted to get something for me and Britt to eat. I came here to drop off some of her ice cream to restock her truck with and I got hungry so she said I should come over here to see you."

"Brittany didn't eat yet?"

"No, she's been checking on the truck and stuff. I'm pretty hungry too after unloading all her ice cream boxes."

"That woman...she should have said she was hungry earlier! How can she even run on an empty stomach?"

"I don't know but hey I'm kind of starving so..."

"Keep your pants on, fish face. I'll make you something too."

I don't know what it is but I just can't help but be annoyed with the man. Turning around and hurriedly putting together a meal for the lovely ice cream lady and her trouty mouthed cousin I think back to the time when I first met the woman. I remember a blur of resentment and jealousy for the woman who seemed to make it so easily while I suffered and slaved for years to achieve popularity with customers. But somewhere along the way I changed and work became my number one priority. What I thought was going to be fun and meaningful turned into a long line of forgetful days at work and lonely nights at home. It was definitely time for a change and I know just the person to help me kick start my life again. I finish and plate both dishes for Brittany and her cousin before remembering to also grab a bottle of Jarritos to go along with it.

"Here you go, fish face. This one's for you and the one with the drink is for Brittany. You look kind of clumsy so be careful bringing it to her, okay?"

"I'm not sure if I should be offended or not but thanks for the food. Oh, but something came up actually so I have to run now but do you mind bringing Britt her food for me instead? Okay? Cool, thanks, bye! Thanks again!"

The man is already running down the lot with his takeout before I can protest as I watch him sprint down the street but not before turning around and giving me one of the goofiest winks I've seen in my life. Brittany's family clearly isn't one for subtlety I guess. I sigh and hold onto Brittany's share of the food while looking out at the woman who seems to have gotten straight back to business selling her ice cream. Guess I shouldn't keep her waiting; I don't exactly want to be bothering her while she's trying to work. Planning to drop things off and come back to my truck as soon as possible I hop out of the back door and jog over to Brittany's brightly colored unicorn truck.

A few children waiting for their ice cream eye me curiously and I smile at them as I pass on by and head straight for her truck's window. I knock on the screen a few times and finally her head pops out and she beams at me when I hold up the plate of food. I try to pass it to her through the window but she shakes her head and points me to the side door instead and motions for me to come inside. I try to protest but she seemed to be having none of it as she shoos me away and ignores me in favor of a chubby kid who rather greedily orders three popsicles for himself. Shaking my head at being ignored I decide to hop into the truck to leave her food on a counter somewhere so whenever she has time she can sit down and eat in her truck. What I don't account for is her attempt to hold me hostage in her vehicle.

"Hey, Britt. I made you a carne asada burrito, I'm just going to leave it here with the Jarrito by the-"

"Wait! Don't go yet, San. Just give me a minute to finish up with these kids and I'll be right with you."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that. You look really busy and I don't want to get in your way."

"You're totally not bothering me; now pass me that grape T-Rex popsicle on your left."

"Oh so you're making me help you then?"

"That's right! Now be a dear and pass me 3 cherry velociraptors also please."

I watch as she happily interacts with the children and their parents and I start to see why she gave up the office life for a job like this. There really isn't anything like the look of happy customers and the overwhelming sense of accomplishment when you do your job well done. I pass her the frozen popsicles when she asks for them and I can't help but notice the ease and joy Brittany seems to have at her job. It doesn't even seem like she's at work anymore and I don't know whether to feel jealous or try to adopt that sense of work ethic into my life. I must have been staring at her for longer than I intended because the next thing I feel is a warm hand coupled with a cold popsicle next to my cheeks.

"Earth to space Cadet San, do you read me?"

"You're such a goofball, Brittany."

"Only when I'm around you, Santana. Here, try my new flavor, chocolate banana split pterodactyl. See if you like it."

Intrigued by the flavor and Brittany's eager face I try her newest creation and am pleasantly surprised to find the mix of cold and sweet so well put together. The chocolate really takes the cake as I enjoy the entire popsicle until there is nothing but the stick left. I am slightly disappointed however when I don't find any cute writing or sweet anecdotes on the stick but I don't let it bother me as I'm about to tell Brittany that her newest flavor is deliciously awesome.

"Wow, Britt. This is really good! Who would've thought eating a flying dinosaur would be so tasty?"

"You really like it? It's not too sweet?"

"No not at all, I love it! It's fantastic, plus I do kind of have a sweet tooth sometimes so this is perfect and I really think you're onto something here. You clearly know what flavors to use and your customer base is extremely loyal. I can see why you quit working at the factory. You're talented, funny, cute and make awesome dinosaur shaped popsicles!"

After my flattering spiel my face is suddenly pulled towards her and I stumble a little but Brittany catches me easily within her arms and proceeds to kiss me senseless. I take a moment to register that her soft lips are eagerly trying to move mine so I drop everything that I'm doing and press her as close to my body as possible. I fit seamlessly against her and relish in the way her soft fingers gently massage my scalp as she continues to kiss me. This is definitely going in the list of top ten best kisses I've had in my life. It's a good thing the kids can't see us inside her truck because their parents probably wouldn't like the fact that I was making out heavily with their ice cream lady. Too bad for those pipsqueaks because Brittany is all mine. And vice versa considering Brittany's hands have now taken it upon themselves to grab every inch of my ass.

The best thing about this kiss is the sweet mixture of my ice cream from before and whatever Brittany must have eaten before I came over. Coupled with her talented tongue I am just putty in her hands as we continue to kiss and suck until the lack of air breaks us apart. Even then we are only a few inches away from each other while pecking at each other's lips and catching our breath. I wait a few seconds before slowly going back to kiss her softly this time and making sure to voice my pleasure when she kneads the muscles in my back. We only break apart when she breaks out in giggles and her smile must be infectious because I can't help but laugh along and kiss her on the nose.

"Well that just ruined every kiss I've ever had in my life. Now how will I ever get kisses like that from now on?"

"With me of course, you're stuck with me now for life Santana!"

"You are just too cute, Britt."

"Well you're not so bad yourself, San. But I have a confession. I'm sorry if I startled you before but I've wanted to kiss you since I first saw you and I totally wanted to wait until we had our date so I can walk you home and then have a great first kiss on your stoop but I just couldn't help myself. Sorry."

"No apology needed, you can kiss me whenever, where ever. And since we're on the topic of confession, I have to admit that I kind of freaked and didn't really plan anything for our date so I'm sorry too."

"Well I guess we're both sorry then, right? In that case, do I get a sorry kiss?"

I laugh and proceed to kiss the hell of the ice cream lady again because who am I kidding; she's the best thing to happen to me since guacamole became popular with the hipsters. I don't even know how long we've been making out but I suddenly feel her whispering something against my lips and I pull back a little to hear her better.

"Fire..."

"Well thanks Britt, I know I'm all kinds of smoking hot and sexy. People don't call me 'caliente' for no reason."

"No, Santana. Your truck's on fire!"

Shit.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Order number 18, pick up!"

"Got it boss!"

Trusting the plate of food to the new kid I hired I place it on the counter and turn back to the grill to work on my next order. Business has definitely been picking up now that word is out about my new place. Not that I don't think about my truck every now and again but there really isn't anything like opening up your own restaurant. I still reminisce about the days of loading up the truck and driving it to the parking lot but that's long gone and I'm more than happy where I am now. Years have passed since the fateful day my food truck went up in flames and my life has changed drastically since meeting Brittany. Our lives are now forever entwined as we go through the ups and downs of daily life together and I've never been happier. All my dreams have come true and I wouldn't have changed any of the events that led up to my life now.

I hear someone holler outside the kitchen door and figure one of my waiters must have done something wrong again. Not having any time to check on the stupidity of my staff at the moment I continue to work on the orders coming in and make a mental note to deal with the nuisance later. What I didn't expect is for my beautiful and heavily pregnant wife to come barging into the kitchen looking ready to murder the next person she sees. I don't know whether to be scared or really aroused at this point so I settle for in between and tread carefully towards her.

"Brittany?"

"I can't take this anymore Santana! That deli across the street sucks! I wanted a turkey sandwich but then I wanted something sweet so I grabbed an ice cream bar and told the man to put them together. Can you believe he told me no? The nerve of him! I paid for both of them so why can't he just put them together in a sandwich for me? Is making a turkey ice cream sandwich that hard?"

"Babe you need to calm down..."

"No, you calm down! I didn't want to bother you at work because I know you're busy so I went to the place across the street but now I'm really hungry and you aren't helping; why did I even marry you?"

"Britt, I know you're upset and hungry so you don't mean that but you need to calm down okay? Its not healthy for you or the baby and I really wish you would stop coming into the kitchen. You know how dangerous it is in here and we talked about this remember?"

"Why? Why can't I come in here? I mean I own half the place don't I? The insurance you received from your burned down truck wasn't enough to put a down payment on this place so I sold mine and now we own this restaurant together. I can do as I please so step aside so I can fix myself a snack already."

"My love, be reasonable..."

"Don't my love me, San. Right now your wife is starving and your baby is kicking up a storm so either make me my turkey ice cream sandwich or-"

Kissing her was definitely a smart idea but the best one was chewing off one of Brittany's signature dinosaur popsicles before pulling her against me and kissing the hell out of my wife. The loud moan she emits into my mouth makes me smile knowingly as my ploy to distract her has worked again. Brittany's always had a sweet tooth but ever since we found out she was pregnant it seems to have gotten worse along with her mood swings. So far the only thing that seems to work is mixing her two favorite things in the world, me and ice cream.

"I'm mad at you but you're still so hot..."

"I know Britt Britt, isn't that why you married me?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I married you so I can have a chef as a wifey, you know, one that will make me a turkey ice cream sandwich?"

"Yes dear, one gross sandwich coming up!"

"Love you!"

Laughing and watching my wife move off into the corner where my stash of chips and candy are hidden only reminds me what an interesting life I have. Minus the feeling of cold turkey slices mixed in with ice cream I can't help but feel blessed that I get to share my life with someone as loving as Brittany and our soon to be plus one. I take a second to look over at Brittany and catch her popping M&M's into her mouth while watching me put together her food. She smiles before blowing me a kiss and I laugh out loud again at how sweet and silly my lovely wife is. Deciding that the sandwich is as gross as I can make it I bring it over to her and grimace as she tastes a bite out of it and lets out one of the most satisfying groans I've ever heard since our honeymoon.

"That good huh?"

"Aw no need to be jealous of a sandwich San, me and the baby both love you equally."

"Speaking of baby, do we have a name for her yet?"

"Not sure. I still think Pomegranate would be a great name since we can call her Pom Pom for short."

"We're not naming our daughter after a fruit Britt, it's already been done and it's still not cute."

"Well she has us for parents so she will be fine in the cute department, I mean let's be serious, have you seen us?"

Chuckling and thankful that my silly wife has finally finished her sandwich I pull her towards our office while signaling to my sous chef to hold down the fort. I pull a bottle of Jarritos from the fridge and pass it to Brittany knowing she probably wanted something even sweeter to wash the food down. At least it'll mask the taste of the turkey and ice cream which I am thankful for because I totally want to get my mack on right now. There really isn't anything better than my happy wife after satisfying her cravings. So hell yes I'm going to take advantage of her good mood now and kiss her until I can't kiss her anymore.

Sitting Brittany in the large office chair behind our desk I climb on top of her, mindful of our precious cargo in between us and begin to kiss every patch of skin I can find. I smile when I feel her hands slowly reach behind my neck to pull me towards her face instead. Eager to please and enjoy this moment of happiness I press into her soft body and kiss her like it was our wedding all over again. I slide my hands up over her stomach and gently rub the area, feeling the small nudges and kicks that our little baby seems to love doing.

"Santana..."

"Less talking more macking..."

"But babe, we haven't even finished our discussion about the baby's name and oh my god do that again!"

"Mmhmm...well how about Cinnamon? Sort of spicy and has a small kick to it, just like our baby girl."

"We can't name her that! How about Maple? Like maple syrup?"

"I know we decided to name her something food or kitchen related but maple syrup seems kind of out there. Well we can name her Honey I guess. I bet she's bound to be just as sweet as you Britt."

"Aww you're so cute San. I knew I married you for a reason!"

"Ouch. Guess you aren't as sweet as I thought you were..."

"Don't be like that San, I'm just teasing. Besides you know I'm the sweetest of them all, I'm totally-"

"Hm, totally what?"

"I got it. How about we name her Sugar. That way you can have both sweet and sugar in your life. Do you like it?"

"Sugar? Hm, it's not bad. Sugar it is then!"

I continue to kiss my wife until I take a look at the clock and notice how much time have passed. Not willing to give up family time just yet I scoot away from the chair and kneel on the floor instead. Laying my head on Brittany's belly I feel a series of sharp kicks and I laugh in joy at my daughter's enthusiasm. Not wanting the baby to kick any harder I hum her a lullaby and rub the side of my wife's stomach until she settles down and I just look up at the most beautiful woman I've ever met before pressing a soft kiss against her lips and then one on her tummy.

"I can't wait to meet you baby Sugar. I bet you'll be just as sugary sweet as your mom."

**THE END**

* * *

A/N: This is going to be bittersweet so be warned. First I apologize for being so tardy with my updates. I know its been months since the last one and I'm really sorry about that. I hope you all can forgive me and a great big thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing this story. It's definitely been interesting and fun to write it and I hope you've all enjoyed it. I'm definitely still working on Sky High so stayed tuned for that one. Dulces was always meant to be short, sweet and funny so I'm glad you all have enjoyed it until the end.

Second, in light of recent events I just want to say that I was bit apprehensive about updating this chapter at this time. I didn't want it to come off as planned or intentional and I certainly don't mean for it to be some sort of commemoration or dedication to an actor that deserves more than that. I'd much rather thank the man for everything he's done for the show and for the millions of lives he's touched. If not for him and the show I would not be freely writing stories and reading the works of so many wonderful authors.

So thank you Cory Monteith. Thank you for being the goofy, funny, laughable and kind man that you are. Thank you for bringing such joy and happiness to a show that still pulls at our heart strings. Thank you for showing us that its okay to laugh at ourselves sometimes. Thank you for being human and admitting your mistakes but also striving to overcome them. Thank you Cory for being you. You will be dearly missed and the world is not the same without you. Keep on drumming where ever you are.


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